Q: As a Catholic should I use Artificial Intelligence (AI) for matters of religion and growth in learning about my faith?

A: “Technological progress is part of God's plan for creation, but people must take responsibility for using technologies like artificial intelligence to help humanity and not harm individuals or groups” (Vatican quote, Vatican City News, Jan 2025). AI is a tool to be used carefully and with investigation not to replace human intelligence but to compliment it (Antiqua et Nova, 112). Often AI generated information will have links to where its information was received from. It can be used as a search engine to help you find sources of information to investigate more fully. It is important when using AI, especially for religious or spiritual matters, to investigate these sources of information. These times can be overwhelming with so much information coming at us coupled with what seems like a lack of time. This can be a big temptation to habitually rely on AI for truth instead of investigating where the information really comes from or if the words were taken out of context. “Repeated actions build and destroy habits, not just in our sense appetites and wills, but also in our intellects” (To Think Things Through to the End, Christopher Blum). Real investigation and study takes work and time to think things through, to reason and discern with the human conscience and morals so our intellect and soul takes in the information more deeply and surely. While AI may provide information, it does not actually educate, which requires rational thinking, reasoning, and discerning.  “Wisdom of heart “cannot be sought from machines, … it goes in search of those who are worthy of it (Antique et Nova, 114, Wis6:12-10).  St Pope John Paul II further addressed this by saying, “the search for ultimate truth seems often to be neglected” and “it can be said that present-day man does not think things through to the end”. Using AI habitually can lead to spiritual or intellectual laziness if we are not careful.
While AI can be a very effective tool, at times it can produce faulty wording, and even at times use faulty information that others uploaded on purpose to misrepresent the truth. A careful eye is necessary. A healthy example of using AI for spiritual matters would be to ask AI where to find a specific topic in the Bible and then use that to look it up yourself and then read before the verse  and after it, along with the scriptural commentary that goes along with it.  It would be unhealthy to ask AI what the Catholic Church teaches on a subject without investigating the source it used or questioning its wording, and even worse use this information to teach without investigating it.
In the end using AI is a technological advancement to be used responsibly as a tool, not as the end of truth itself nor as a replacement for careful personal thinking, reasoning, and discerning.
Links to more information:
https://www.usccb.org/news/2025/morality-ai-depends-human-choices-vatican-says-new-document
https://whatweneednow.substack.com/p/to-think-things-through-to-the-end (This is an article from my history professor at Augustine Institute.)
https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_ddf_doc_20250128_antiqua-et-nova_en.html
 

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